Led to the gate by pre-race morning line favorite Omaha Beach, a full field of 20 are set to line up for the 145th Kentucky Derby on late Saturday afternoon. They’re running for a total purse of $3 million on the 1 1/4 mile Churchill dirt course and making their bid to follow 2018 winner Justify as Triple Crown champions.
With the conclusion of the Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying season last weekend, Tacitus topped the points leaderboard with wins in the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial. That wasn't enough to gain him favored status, however, as that honor falls to Arkansas Derby and Rebel Stakes winner Omaha Beach.
When faced with having to pick a winner in a large field like the Derby, the best bet is to always eliminate the horses that seem to have no chance and concentrate you handicapping efforts on the the rest of the horses in the race.
With that in mind, here's a rundown of the entire 2019 Kentucky Derby field, with Kentucky Derby horse odds provided by Bovada's online racebook.
#1 - War Of Will (20-1): Was on track to be a favorite until he lost his footing in the Louisiana Derby to finish 9th, suffering a minor injury. Prior to that he won three straight. In a tough post position.
#5 - Improbable (6-1): Looked very good last fall in winning three straight including the Los Alamitos Futurity. Second twice in 2019 behind others who are in the field.
#7 - Maximum Security (10-1): Undefeated in four lifetime, including the Florida Derby. With very little early speed in the race he could get loose on the lead and would be hard to catch.
#8 - Tacitus (10-1): Has overcome some rough rides to post his last two wins and he was clearly the best in the Wood Memorial. Needs to stay closer to the pace.
#12 - Omaha Beach (4-1): The deserving favorite off his Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby wins, where he seemed to find another gear in deep stretch over a sloppy track.
#16 - Game Winner (6-1): 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner is ultra-consistant, never worse than second in six starts, although he was 4-for-4 in 2018, 0-for-2 this year.
#17 - Roadster (5-1): The top choice coming out of the California preps with a win in the Santa Anita Derby. Lightly raced and at the top of his form cycle. The #17 post has never produced a Derby winner.
#2 Tax (20-1): He's consistant, with five in-the-money finishes in five starts including a win in the Withers Stakes. Second to Tacitus in the Wood, although it wasn't really that close.
#3 - By My Standards (20-1): He's been flying under the radar despite winning the Louisiana Derby his last time out. Steadily improving and could be a factor at a big price.
#6 - Vekoma (20-1): He has three wins over four different tracks, and his stalking style is perfect for the Derby. Won the Blue Grass Stakes, but the time was very slow.
#11 - Haikal (30-1): Ran off a string of three straight wins after breaking his maiden, including the (G3) Gotham, but his third-place effort in the Wood seemed to be a step back.
#13 - Code Of Honor (15-1): Talented colt won the Fountain Of Youth Stakes and was third in the Florida Derby, but he needs a pace meltdown up front to have a chance.
#14 - Win Win Win (15-1): Overcame traffic trouble to come from way back and get up for second in the Blue Grass, but yet to win at the graded-stakes level.
#4 - Grey Magician (50-1): He only has a maiden win to his name in four lifetime starts, and has only hit the board twice so far in 2019.
#9 - Plus Que Parfait (30-1): Made the Derby field by winning the UAE Derby in Dubai, when the best he could do was a fifth and a 13th-place finish in his last two US prep races.
#10 - Cutting Humor (30-1): Picked up enough points to qualify by winning the Sunland Derby whihc has never produced a Kentucky Derby winner.
#15 - Master Fencer (50-1): Not even the best three-year-old in Japan, accepting the nomination seems like a vanity project by the owners. Could be 99-1 at post time.
#18 - Long Range Toddy (30-1): Surprise winner by a nose over Improbable in the Rebel Stakes at 20-1, he couldn't repeat that effort next out in the Arkansas Derby where he finished sixth.
#19 - Spinoff (30-1): He has a decent enough record on paper, but couldn't win in two tries at the graded-stakes level, giving up the lead late in the Louisiana Derby.
#20 - Country House (30-1): Third in the Arkansas Derby and second in the Risen Star Stakes, he breaks very slowly and doesn't have enough speed to make up for it against this field.
There hasn't been a big-priced winner in the Derby since the points system for qualifying was introduced six years ago, and we don't expect that to change now. We'll take #12 Omaha Beach for the Win-Place, and an exacta box with #7 Maximum Security.
We'll round out the trifecta by using both #3 By My Standards and #8 Tacitus underneath.
You can get the best Kentucky Derby odds and bet the race from home with one of the top-rated online racebooks listed below.
There is no bigger or more lucrative race than the signature race at Churchill Downs: the $5 million Kentucky Derby, which happens Saturday, May 4! The race has been Churchill […]
The Kentucky Oaks is coming up at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 5! Horseplayers around the world look forward to betting the Kentucky Oaks, and it’s no wonder why. The […]
The crown jewel of racing in Kentucky happens Saturday, May 6: the $3 million Kentucky Derby! The race has been run at Churchill Downs every year since 1875, and 20 […]
In the 2022 Belmont Stakes, 80-1 Kentucky Derby betting longshot Rich Strike will try to prove that his Louisville surprise was no fluke. However, he faces a talented cast of foes, including Wood […]
Kentucky Derby 2024: Honor Marie can flourish at Churchill Downs
03 May 2024...
Leave a comment